Las Cruces teen to compete in national scholarship competition

Salma Barragan of Las Cruces will travel to Mobile, Alabama to compete in the 65th Distinguished Young Women (DYW) National Finals June 23-25, DYW said in a news release. Barragan is one of 50 representatives competing for more than $150,000 in cash scholarships and the opportunity to represent the program as the 2022 Distinguished Young Woman of America.

Barragan is a 2022 graduate of Centennial High School and the daughter of Zulma Uranga Trujillo and Hector Trujillo.

The finals competition includes five categories of evaluation: scholastics, interview, fitness, talent and self-expression, DYW said. While in Mobile, Barragan also will participate in team-building activities,

complete community service projects, interact with the Gulf Coast community through various events and engage in many hours of rehearsal in preparation for the three-night scholarship competition, the news release said.

The finals winner will spend the next year representing DYW across the country through various appearances and promoting the program’s Be Your Best Self national outreach initiative.

Be Your Best Self is designed to combat major issues facing children today, DYW said, including childhood obesity and high school dropout rates and encourage young people to participate in community service.

DYW was founded in 1958 to empower young women by providing more than $1 billion in scholarship

opportunities, connecting with a nationwide network of women, developing their self-confidence and

participating in our life skills workshops that prepare them for success after high school.

Visit www.DistinguishedYW.org.